Gliding swing.



'P. S. SPAULDING.

GLIDING SWING. APPLIGATIOH FILED mm2, 1909.

Patented May 10, 1,910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I'. s. SPAULDING. l

GLIDING SWING. ArlfLIoATIoN FILED ulm. 1909.

Patented May 10, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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if'. s. SPAULDING. GLIDING SWING.

APPLICATION FILED JANJI, 1909.

- Patented. May 10, 1910.

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' www F. s. SPAULDING.

GLIDING SWING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. z, 1909.

Patented may 1o, 1910.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

n DREW IGR/WAM om PMOTO-UNOGRANERS. wnsnlucvou n c FREDERICK S. SPALDING, OF DENVER, GOLRADO, ASSIGNOR, BY :DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE SPAULDING MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BSTON, MAS- SACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F MAINE.

GLIDING SWING.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRnDnRioK S. SIAUL- DING, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gliding Swings; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appert-ains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, 'which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gliding swings and comprises a structure having a relatively stationary base or platform, and a superstructure adapted to have an undulatory reciprocating movement. This superstructure comprises a frame upon which chairs, or settees, or any suitable construction are mounted. The frame is provided with rollers or wheels adapted to engage the tracks with which the stationary base ,is provided, the said tracks being downwardly curved between their extremities, whereby a wave-like or undulatory movement is impart/ed to the reciprocatory member. In order to facilitate the movement of the superstructure, a spiral spring connects the frame of the latter with the stationary base, the axis of the spring occupying a vertical position, when the gliding frame is in the normal or central position upon the base. Then this frame is moved in either direction, the spring is placed under tension and its recoil aids in imparting the reverse movement to the gliding frame.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will, proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction, one of the guard rails being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the relatively stationary platform. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 Fig. 1, looking toward the left. Fig. 5 .is a fragmentary side elevationshowing a portion of the stationary platform and of the gliding frame mounted thereon, the parts being Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1909.

Patented lfay 10, 191i).

Serial No. 470,515.

shown on a larger scale. Fig. is a section taken on the line 6 6 Fig. 5.

rlhe same reference characters indicate the same parts in-all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the relatively stationary base or platform composed of parallel side beams 6 connected by transverse members 7, to which are secured slats .S constituting a platform located between the beams G. Each beam 6 is concave, shown at 9, on opposite sides of its central portion, and these concave parts are equipped with tracks 10, which are curved to conform with the concavities t). To the outer surface of each beam 6 is secured a guard rail 12, which projects above the beam and serves to orevent the possible latteral displacement of the gliding superstructure. These guard rails or plates also prevent children or others from getting injured `by accidentally placing their feet or hands upon the tracks in the path of 'the gliding structure.

The reciprocating superstructure supported by the base is composed of a frame 13 comprising parallel side rails 14 connected by cross bars 15. To the under surface of each rail 14e is secured a pair of brackets 17 in each of which is journaled a wheel or roller 16 adapted to engage one of the tracks 10. The side rails 111 are each centrally connected with one of the beams 5 by a coil spring 18, one extremity of which is connected with a pin 19 fast upon the rail 14, while the other extremity is connected with a pin 2O fast upon a beam 5.

Upon the frame 13 are mounted chairs or settees 21, each of which is provided with front and rear legs 22 and 23, upon which is mounted a seat 24 having a back 25, side arms 26, and upwardly projecting front arms 27. These chairs or settees may be of any suitable construction, and, therefore, need not be further described in detail.

When the superstructure is in use it may be assumed that one or more persons occupies each of the chairs 21, in which event they sit facing each other. In order to operate the swing, it may be assumed that a person in one of the chairs presses with his feet upon the platform 8, in such a manner as to cause the frame 13 to move in one direction or the other from the central position illustrated in Fig. 1. The position after such movement is illustrated in Fig. 2, in which the gliding frame is moved toward the left, whereby each roller 16 is caused to engage one extremity of the tracks 10. When in this position, the spring 18 is placed under tension and its recoil has a tendency to impart the reverse movement. The movable structure also has a tendency to move toward the right by gravity, at least until the rollers reach the lowest part of the track l0. W'hen this occurs the momentum of the reciprocating member will cause the same to travel to its limit of movement toward the right. Hence, after the initial movement is imparted to the gliding superstructure7 but little if any effort upon the part of the occupants of the chairs will be necessary in order to keep the swing in motion. It is easy, however, for the persons in the swing to keep it in motion by pressing occasionally with their feet upon the stationary platform, as heretofore explained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. The combination with a horizontal frame carrying one or more seats and supporting wheels rotatably secured beneath the same, of tracks for said wheels having certain parts thereof elevated above the remainder, and guard boards secured exterior to said tracks and rising a substantial distance above the same, whereby the feet of persons upon said seats or otherwise nearby can not be caught between the track and frame when the latter is elevated, and be crushed when said frame approaches its lowermost position in rolling back and forth on said uneven track.

2. The combination with a horizontal frame carrying one or more seats, and a vertically uneven pair of track-members, of brackets fixed to the under face of said frame and track-engaging wheels rotatably mounted in said brackets, the distance between the under face of said frame and the lowermost peripheral point of said wheels being in excess of the difference in level between the highest and lowest points of said tracks, and guard boards secured exterior to said tracks for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with a horizontal frame carrying one or more seats and embracing longitudinal side-bars, of two braek ets fixed to the under surface of each said side-bars, wheels rotatably mounted in said brackets, beams located beneath and parallel with said side-bars and having vertically uneven tracks in their upper faces engaging and supporting said wheels, and guard boards secured to the outer surfaces of said beams and rising to a height substantially equal to that ofthe under surface of the sidebars when their supporting wheels are lo cated on the highest parts of said tracks.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK S. SPAULDING. lVitnesses Amon I. LAKIN,

A. EBER'r OBRIEN. 

